Button arrangement in magnetic recording and/or play-back apparatus



NOV. 1, 1966 P L 3,283,087

BUTTON ARRANGEMENT IN MAGNETIC RECORDING AND/OR PLAY-BACK APPARATUS Filed June 16, 1964 INVENTOR.

ARNE AP PE L AGENT United States Patent 3,283,087 BUTTON ARRANGEMENT IN MAGNETIC RE- CORDTNG AND/0R PLAY-BACK APPARA- TUS Arne Appel, Vienna, Austria, assignor to North American Philips Company, inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 16, 1964, Ser. No. 375,605 Claims priority, application Austria, June 19, 1963, A 4,910/ 63 7 Claims. (Cl. 200-) The invention relates to a control arrangement for magnetic tape recording and/or play-back apparatus comprising buttons and associated linkage the rest positions of which are determined by springs and/or by reaction forces of components parts of the apparatus to be operated by the said buttons which in their operative end positions bear on a movable holding bar.

According to the invention a holding bar is provided so as to be movable transversely i.e. at right angles to its longitudinal axis in the direction of the forces produced by the buttons bearing on the holding bar and is arranged to operate at least one preferably electric switch adapted to be operated by this transverse movement of the holding bar when holding the buttons.

In the preferred button arrangement according to the invention the direction of movement of a button is reversed when it passes from its rest position to its operative end position because it has to be moved beyond, said end position before snapping into this position. Such arrangements are known and have been previously used, for example, in the form of push-buttons of which that part of the path which the buttons, when depressed, travel only once, is used for permanently switching on an operating condition and of which the part of the path which the buttons travel in the reverse direction from their extreme depressed positions to their operative end positions is used to initiate an operation to be switched on temporarily and briefly only.

It is also known to design a push button arrangement so that by means of a control member (button lever, control rod or the like), which is moved in operating the button more than one operation, for example, a whole chain of operations, is performed. Obviously the entire chain must have been completed when the button is released and assumes its operation and position. Frequently, however, the sequence of operations plays a decisive role and it may even be essential that a certain operation intended to be the final link of the chain can only be performed as the final operation and is carried out only when the specified button is released and held in its operation end position whereas if said button were to return to its rest position due to the fact that it was not moved far enough, said final operation is not performed.

The problem of performing a certain operation as the final operation and only when a specified release of the button causes the latter to snap into its operative end position, is solved in a very simple and reliable manner by this invention.

The invention contemplates a plurality of additional embodiments. It may be of advantage to maintain the position of a control arrangement, reached by transverse shifting of the holding bar, even if the operation of other buttons or of a release button would normally cause the holding bar to change its position several times. In this case, a pawl arrangement is used to transmit the transverse movement of the holding bar to the control device(s) to be operated. A highly suitable embodiment of such a pawl arrangement takes the form of a lever provided with a hook at one end and arranged on the holding bar spindle so as to be capable of lateral and 3,283,@87 Patented Nov. 1, 1966 ICC pivotal movement; when a button is operated the said lever is moved on the holding bar from its rest position which is determined by stops and springs and does not insert its hook onto a holding plate before the button is released.

The arrangement to move the pawl lever in its simplest form consists of a slide member adapted to slide along the spindle of the holding bar and to engage the pawl lever. Operation of the buttons moves the slide member along the bar by means of inclined surfaces provided on the operating members of the buttons (levers, rods or the like) and/or on the pawl lever. By not providing such inclined surfaces on individual operating members of the buttons or on the slide member many modifications can be obtained.

Arrangements including a pawl lever and a slide member and provided with a pivotally mounted holding bar the pivot spindle of which passes through plate-shaped apertured button-operating members may be elaborated by enabling the slide member to lock the buttons which have not been operated and/ or to provide predetermined sequence of operation of individual buttons. For this purpose the slide member is divided into several component parts, or individual slide members which are arranged side by side on the pivotal holding bar so as to be able to slide along this spindle and are pressed against one another by two springs. The slide member is so divided into individual slide members that in the rest position, which is determined by the springs, adjacent side surfaces of the individual members are maintained in the plane of the button plates. The button plates are provided with wedge-shaped members which may be integral with the plates and the inclined surfaces of which press against the inclined surfaces of the said individual slide members. After shifting of the individual slide members which are then located within the apertures in the button plates of certain buttons, the cross-sectional areas of the said individual slide members being made to conform with the cross-sectional area of the said button plate apertures, so that when the individual slide members are inserted in the apertures, the said certain buttons are locked against movement.

Further suitable embodiments will appear from the examples described.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the use of push-buttons. It may also be used in arrangements comprising buttons operated by tilting, pulling, etc.

The above and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawing.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a button according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view of a detail of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line IVIV of FIG. 1.

Five buttons (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are arranged in a frame (button stand). The button stand consists of a base plate 6 and a U-member 7. The operating members of the buttons, i.e. have the form of plates 8, 9, it ll, and 12 guided in suitable slots in the base plate 6 (not shown) and the U-member. Lugs 13 (FIGURE 2) are punched from the button plates 842 and are surrounded by springs 1 engaging the button heads and the U-member 7 so at to urge the buttons upwardly into their rest position. The movement of the buttons must obviously be limited in some way, for example, by abutment stops (not shown). The manner in which the buttons and plates perform the operations to be carried out is not of importance to the invention. The said operations may, for

arrangement example, be effected by a transmission member shown in FIGURE 2. The operation-s performed by pushing the buttons may be mechanical or electrical. The reaction forces produced in the operations by the movement of the parts to be operated act in a direction opposite to the direction in which the buttons are pushed and assist the action of the springs 14. Hence in some cases the springs 14 may be dispensed with.

In order to retain the buttons in their depressed positions, that is in their operative positions, a holding bar 16 is pivotal mounted on a spindle 17 by means of hinges 16a. The holding bar 16 and the spindle 17 extend throughout the length of the button stand through apertures 18 in the button plates 8 to 12. A spring 19 disposed between the holding bar 16 and a projection 20 on the base plate 6 pulls the holding bar 16 forward (as seen in FIG. 1) against lugs 21 (FIG. 2) of the button plates. Referring more particularly to FIG. 2, it will be apparent that as button plate 10 moves downwardly, the lug 21 will cause the holding bar 16 to rotate counterclockwise about spindle 17. If button 3 is pushed far enough, the holding bar will snap back, in a clockwise direction, under the influence of spring 19 (FIG. 1) thus locking the button plate 10 in a depressed position. Buttons which were previously arrested by the holding bar 16 would be released when the button arrangement 3, 10 is depressed. If a button must only release other buttons but does not fulfill any other function and hence does not have to snap behind the holding bar 16, the upper surface of the lug 21 is bevelled. In the embodiment described this is the case with respect to the button 5 (release button, or stop button).

The details described may be considered to be conventional. According to the invention the holding bar 16 is arranged so as to be able to move in its hanger or hinges 16a in a direction at right angles to its longitudinal axis and in the direction of the forces produced by the buttons being supported. For this purpose the spindle 17 supporting holding bar 16 is journalled in the limbs of the U-member 7, in elongated slots 22 which permit of upward movement. A contact 24 shown schematically in FIGURE 1 is disposed above one end 23 of the spindle 17. Each transverse or upward movement of the spindle 17 closes the contact. The contact 24 may, for example, complete the circuit of an electromagnet which is provided as a central source of energy and performs opera- .tions prepared by depression of the buttons only when switched into circuit, i.e. causes the motor for driving a record carrier to be switched into circuit, when the leading end of the carrier provided on the apparatus is secured to the take-up reel by an automatic device. If the drive is not rendered operative by electric means but by mechanical means depression of a button may cause in addition to other operations a spring to be tensioned which has to operate the driving means. Setting is prevented, however, until a lever, substituted for the contact 24, releases the preventing means. It will be appreciated that such operations must be initiated only after all the other operations have been completely performed. This condition is entirely fulfilled by the arrangement described since the transverse movement of the holding bar' 16, and the spindle 17 can only take place when button plates 812, provided with a holding projection 21 is depressed through a distance such that the holding bar 16 is pivoted by the spring 19 so that (refer to FIG. 2) the holding bar snaps over the projection 21, When button 3 is released, spring 14 or the reaction forces of the operating parts, lifts the holding bar 16 and spindle 17. The spring 14 and/or the said reaction forces are sufficient to lift bar 16 and spindle 17 even though the button plate moves left or right, out of the vertical plane, as seen in FIG. 1.

Obviously several arrangements may be provided to be operated by the transverse movement of the holding bar 16. Furthermore it is not necessary that the switch arrangement 24 should be actuated by the spindle tip 23.

The holding bar 16 itself may also be used for this purpose. It is also immaterial whether the holding bar has the form described and is pivotable about its longitidinal axis or is provided in another known form e.g., in which it is moved longitudinally. Finally the invention may also be used if instead of a single continuous holding bar 16 for all the buttons several holding bars or segments are provided for given groups of buttons or even for single buttons and associated with switching devices. The basic principle of the invention may readily be used under a variety of switching conditions.

In button arrangements employing a holding bar which also include buttons not to be held by the holding bar it is frequently desirable for the said buttons when depressed or pushed to cause the holding bar to be transversely moved so that the switching device (24) to be operated by the holding bar is operated. The button 4 of FIGURE 1 is such a button. Obviously it does not include a holding projection 21. In order to enable this button to lift the holding bar 16 there is disposed below the holding bar 16 in the base plate 6 a pivotable lever 25 which when the button 4 is pushed is pivoted by means of a projection 26 provided on the button plate 11 and thus lifts the holding bar 16. w

Especially in apparatus in which after the initial operation of switching-on, any further operations are either performed automatically or manually by means of buttons, it is frequently necessary to maintain the switchedon position of the contacts 24 produced by transverse movement of the holding bar 16, irrespective of subsequent variations in the position of the holding bar 16. For this purpose the transverse movement of the holding bar is transferred to a pawl arrangement and thence to the contacts 24, which pawl arrangement maintains the switched-on position until the pawl is disengaged.

A particular design of the pawl and further steps which impart additional valuable properties to the entire button arrangement will now be described in detail with reference to the drawing (FIGS. 1 and 3). A lever 27 is mounted on the spindle 17 of the holding bar 16 so as to be movable (slidable) and pivotable. It consists of a plate from which two lugs 28 are bent which are provided with apertures for the spindle 17. A spring 29 tends to pivot the pawl lever 27 and a spring 30 presses the said lever against a stop ring 31 forced into the spindle 17. A hook 32 formed integral with the pawl lever 27 passes through an aperture 33 in the U-member 7 (FIG. 3). If the pawl lever 27 is longitudinally moved to the right compressing spring 30, which may take place when a button is pushed, either by direct engagement or, as will be described hereinafter, by way of an intermediate member, the hook 32 slides only over an edge 34 (FIG. 3) which is a stop abutment for the hook against longitudinal movement to the left. This abutment is also operative when the pawl lever 27 is only lifted but not moved to the right it will follow the pull of the spring 29 and hook into the plate 7 when the spindle 17 is lifted. In the embodiment under consideration the contacts 24 to be operated may be disposed, not above the spindle tip 23, but so that it is operated by the pawl lever 27, for example, by the hook 32 when the said lever or hook is pivoted forward. This detail is not shown in the drawing.

When the pawl lever 27 has engaged (raised, shifted to the right and rotated by spring 29), it can no longer be disengaged by changes in the position of the holding bar 16. Hence a separate disengaging member must be provided which when operated pivots the pawl lever 27 back against the force of the spring 29. In fully automatic apparatus a disengaging member may be operated, for example, by a marking provided on the trailing end of the record carrier. However, the disengaging button 5 by means of which the pawl is rotated to lower the holding bar 16 may be provided with a projection (similar to 21 as seen in FIG. 2) which on operation (.depres sion) of the disengaging button 5 causes the pawl lever 27 to be pivoted back against the force of spring 29.

If it should be inconvenient that the raised and pivoted (engaged) pawl lever 27, which as mentioned hereinbefore maintains the spindle 17, raised after the release of the button by the operation of which the spindle was initially raised, the circular apertures in the lugs 28 may be replaced by slots. Thus, the spindle 17 may be lowered independently of the lever 27. (Obviously contacts 24 would be closed by pawl 27 in this case as indicated above.)

The fact that the operations to be performed by the pawl lever 27 depend upon three component movements i.e. longitudinal movement, upward or transverse movement and pivoting movement, renders possible several modifications in the design of the entire button arrangement. In an arrangement including a holding bar 16 common to several buttons it is possible, for example, to arrange for a button, although it bears on the common holding bar 16, not to cause longitudinal movement of the pawl lever 27. Thus this button does not operate the contacts (associated with hook 32 noted above) 24 because the lever 27 cannot pivot forward. Conversely, a switching position previously set by the lever 27 is maintained when buttons are pushed which disengage one another or the release button 5 is pushed, for while the holding bar 16 together with the spindle 17 is lowered, this does not permit the lever 27 to be pivoted back.

In a simple embodiment the pawl lever 27 is shifted by a slide member extending parallel to the spindle 17 and engaging the lever 27. The shifting movement is effected with the aid of inclined surfaces provided on the slide member or on the button plates or on both and rendered operative when the buttons are depressed, Alternatively, the shifting movement may obviously be directly effected by a button. In the embodiment of FIG- URE 1, the slide member comprises five individual members 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39 of synthetic material and of substantially parallelepiped shape which are slidably mounted on the spindle 17. The said individual members are pressed against one another by two springs 40 and 41. They are provided with lugs 42 which are guided in longitudinally extending slits 43 in the U-member 7. The length ofthe individual members 35-39 is chosen so that in the rest position their adjacent sides are situated in the planes passing through the centres of the button plates 8 to 11 or in the center of the planes of rods 8-12. Their rest position is determined by the fact that the lug 42 of the one member 39, which member is disposed to the right of the button plate 11 and engages the pawl lever 27, is arranged in the side 43a of the slit 43 in a position such that the member 39 is prevented from moving to the left. The springs 40 and 41 are constructed so that the force of the spring 41 predominates.

Some of the members 35 to 39 (members 37, 38, 39) are provided at the edges facing the button plates with inclined surfaces 45 and other members (some members 35 and 36) are recessed so that their sides adjacent the button plates have only a small height and are remote from the associated plates 8, 9. The member 37, 38 and 39 may be directly shifted by operating one of the buttons 2, 3 or 4. For this purpose wedge-shaped bodies 46 of synthetic material are secured to the button plates 9, and 11. The said wedge-shaped bodies 46 may alternatively be provided by embossing the plates. When either one of the buttons 2, 3 and 4 is pushed the member 39 is moved to the right, the pawl lever 27 is also moved longitudinally to the right, and on subsequent upward or transverse movement of the holding bar 16 the lever 27 is raised. The said transverse movement of the holding bar 16 on depression of the buttons 2 and 3 is due to the fact that the said buttons bear on the bar 16 by their projections 21 (FIG. 2) and on depression of the button 4 by means of the aforementioned lever 25 (FIG. 1).

When the members 3 7 and 38 are moved to the left or to the right, they enter the apertures in the button plates 9, 10, 11 with their entire cross-sectional profile. The cross-sectional area of the members 37 and 38 is formed to the cross-sectional profile of the apertures in the button plates that when one of the members 37 and 38 has entered said apertures the buttons 2 and 3 are locked.

The button 1 is not provided with wedge-shaped bodies 46. The portions of the sides of the members 35 and 36 when situated within the button plate 8 are so low that the said button may be operated (depressed) without engaging the side members 35 or 36. Since the said members 35 and 36 are not moved by plates 8 or 9, the pawl lever 27 is not shifted and cannot engage. On both sides of the button plate 8 the recesses of members 35 and 36 resume their full cross-section so that when the buttons 3 or 4 are pushed, the members 35 and 37 or 38 and the members 36 are moved to the left. Thus, pushing the buttons 3 and 4 locks the button 1 also.

In the side of the member 36 facing the button plate 9 a recess is made of a size such that depression of the button 2 is not prevented when the member 36 under the action of the spring 40 follows a movement of the members 37, 38 and 39 to the right. In this case the member 35 also follows this movement to the right and locks the button 1. Thus, both the buttons 1 and 2 may be pushed together however, the button 2 can only be pushed simultaneously, with or after the button 1, but not conversely. Consequently, an accurately determined sequence of operations is ensured.

A button arrangement according to the embodiment described may be used without further expedients in a magnetic tape recorder, the button 1 for changing the am- :plifier over to recording, the button 2 for forward running at normal speed (amplifier changed over to reproduction), the buttons 3 and 4 for fast forward running and fast rewinding respectively and the button 5 as switch-off button.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the latter may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described and that in the illustrated embodiment certain changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principle of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with the operating members of a key array for controlling operations of a magnetic tape recorder/reproducer comprising, electric contact means, a pivotally mounted holding bar, means for pivoting said holding bar in response to movement of a member of said anray from its rest posit-ion to its operative position, means supporting said holding bar for movement transversely of its longitudinal axis in the plane of movement of said member; and means for imparting said transverse movement to said holding bar for closing said electric contact means.

2. The combination according to claim 1 with the addition of a pawl member mounted on said holding bar for movement therewith, said pawl member maintaining said electric contact means closed independently of subsequent movement of said holding bar.

3. The combination according to claim 2 with the addition of a lug connected with at least one member of said array for pivoting said holding bar upon movement of the member of said array from its rest position to its operative position; said lug being connected with the member of said array for moving beyond said holding bar upon movement of said member to its operative position, means connected with said holding bar for pivoting said holding bar in the reverse direction for engaging said lug, and means for reversing the direction of movement of said lug and associated member for moving said holding bar in said transverse direction whereby said electric contract means in closed.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said second means comprises a pawl member mounted on said rod for pivotal and sliding movement relative thereto, a latch member engageable with said pawl for removeably securing said pawl in one position, said pawl in said one position securing said rod against movement and maintaining said contact means closed independent of subsequent movement of said holding bar.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein only one member of said array is operatively associated with said pawl for disconnecting said electric contact means.

6. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the members of said array include a plate and said slideable means comprises a plurality of discrete parts, resilient means connected with and normally urging said parts together, and stop means; said stop means and said resilient means positioning said parts with the adjoining side thereof in the plane of said plates.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein certain of said operating members of said array are provided with'wedge shaped member extending in the direction of movement of said operating members and the corresponding adjoining surfaces of said parts are inclined, said wedge shaped member engaging said inclined surfaces for moving said parts for engaging said plates for locking said other members of said array and simultaneously sliding said second means for maintaining said contacts closed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,831,075 4/1958 Dumke et a1. 20050 X 3,211,846 10/1965 Hutt et al. 200-5 ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

J. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH THE OPERATING MEMBERS OF A KEY ARRAY FOR CONTROLLING OPERATIONS OF A MAGNETIC TAPE RECORDER/REPRODUCER COMPRISING, ELECTRIC CONTACT MEANS, A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED HOLDING BAR, MEANS FOR PIVOTING SAID HOLDING BAR IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF A MEMBER OF SAID ARRAY FROM ITS REST POSITION TO ITS OPERATIVE POSITION, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID HOLDING BAR FOR MOVEMENT TRANSVERSELY OF ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS IN THE PLANE OF MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER; AND MEANS FOR IMPARTING SAID TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT TO SAID HOLDING BAR FOR CLOSING SAID ELECTRIC CONTACT MEANS. 